The 411: Waiting for the Droid Pro
Every two weeks in The 411, CNET editor Nicole Lee answers your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories.
Welcome to The 411, my column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.
Question: I've done some research, played with the Blackberry Curve and Droid 2 at Verizon, but still can't make up my mind. I want a keyboard that's easy to use and like the idea of having a global phone if needed. If you had to choose a phone now, would you go with the BB Curve, Droid 2, or the new Droid Pro that is being released? Kim, via e-mail.
Do you have any information on when the Droid Pro will be available for purchase? I am looking at service through Verizon. Deb, via e-mail.
If the global phone factor is essential to you, then without a doubt, the new Motorola Droid Pro is probably your best bet. While both the BlackBerry Curve 3G and the Motorola Droid 2 are decent smartphones, the Droid Pro is a dual-mode handset that can use both CDMA and GSM networks. It even comes with a SIM card that you can use with any of Verizon's international roaming partners. We have yet to really put the Droid Pro through its paces, but from our brief interactions with it we have to say that it certainly gives RIM a run for its money. The keyboard has that BlackBerry look and feel and it does ship with Android 2.2. And at $180, the price isn't bad either.
For Deb, the Droid Pro will be available starting November 18, but preorders start as early as November 9.
On October 31, I decided to upgrade my contract with Verizon, and decided to get the Samsung Reality. The next day, I went online to complete this transaction and the Reality was no longer accessible. I get conflicting stories from Verizon employees as to why. Do you know or can you find out? -- Gwenda, via e-mail.
Even though the Samsung Reality was released earlier this year, we also found out that the phone is no longer available for sale from Verizon Wireless. We've reached out to our Verizon and Samsung contacts and have yet to hear anything back from them, but I think it's safe to say that the Reality is, well, no longer a reality--at least for now. We'll update this blog post if we hear anything different.